West End 'Joseph' Revival to Open at the Adelphi, 7/18

Dates have been announced for the upcoming West End revival of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, according to Whatsonstage.com.

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, produced by Tony Award-winning composer and impresario Andrew Lloyd Webber (Evita, Cats, The Phantom of the Opera), will (subject to final confirmation) begin previews on July 6th and open on July 18th at the Adelphi Theatre.  "Any Dream Will Do," also produced by Webber, will begin airing on BBC One on Saturday, March 31st.  The reality talent search will find an actor to star in the title role of the revival.

Thousands who auditioned in the U.K. were narrowed down to 100 would-be Josephs, and 50 were chosen to move on by the judges' panel. Within the first two episodes of the series, they will undergo performance training at the "Joseph School" and then perform live at Webber's Irish castle, for the composer, his invited friends, family and local visitors.  Finally, 12 performers will compete for the role of Joseph on eight live shows.

The panel of "Any Dream Will Do" will feature Denise Van Outen (Chicago on the West End, "Grease: You're the One That I Want" co-host), West End and Broadway star John Barrowman (Putting It Together), producer Bill Kenwright and voice coach Zoe Tyler.  "Any Dream Will Do" will air opposite "Grease is the Word," the David Ian-produced ITV reality talent search that, like its American predecessor "Grease: You're the One That I Want," will cast actors as Sandy and Danny in an upcoming West End revival of Grease, with the winners decided by nationwide voting.

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, with music by Lloyd Webber and lyrics and book by Tim Rice, is a light-hearted reimagining of the biblical tale of Joseph, who is betrayed by his 11 brothers but finds a happy ending after adventures in Egypt.  The staging of the West End revival will be based upon that of Steven Pimlott's 1991 production.

After origins in British schools and a hit London run, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat opened on Broadway at the Royale Theatre on January 27th, 1982 and ran for 747 performances.  It originally starred Bill Hutton and Laurie Beechman on Broadway.  The show was revived in 1993, and has also toured successfully (Donny Osmond headed a touring production, at one point).

The show is booking through January 5th, 2008.